Burned: My Version
by My Dreams Are My Wings
Summary: This is my version of what I think will happen in Burned. Please review and tell me what you think. This is my first story.
1. Chapter 1

House of Night Series: Burned

Chapter One: Stark

It had been over two hours since Stark had watched his one true love collapse to the floor while she hurled Spirit at Kalona. He hadn't wanted to move his position for he feared that if he did then he would lose Zoey forever. Stark hadn't realised how hard he had been sobbing until the very kind and gentle touch on his shoulder offered him a tissue. He didn't understand who it was as he had heard everyone retreating back to the palace like building after the first hour of being out in the cold, starless night with Zoey. "Thanks," he mumbled trying to pull himself together not exactly wanting anyone to see how bad this was affecting him.

"No problem," Damien replied. Stark knew if it was to be anyone to find their way back to where Zoey and he were it would be Damien. That was just his nature kind, caring and understanding. "Look I know you probably don't want to but we should really get you and Zoey back inside out of the cold. It's been two hours Stark. I promise you can stay with her once we get her back inside." He finished.

He was too tired, upset and broken to argue so he just nodded my head and started to gather myself till he was standing with Zoey in my arms and followed behind Damien. They walked back to the building and up to Zoey's room in silence. Damien had opened the door for him to walk in and then gently afraid that she would break he placed Zoey onto the bed and under the quilt to keep her warm. He was stuck in his own thoughts until he heard Damien clear his throat and explain that he was going to go back to his and Jack's room. It was at the exact instant that he heard the soft click of the door shut that he just started to let out everything that he had kept built up in him ever since Damien had appeared by his side outside in the courtyard. Before he got into the bed next to Zoey he sent up a silent prayer to Nyx. _Why Nyx? Why did you let this_ _happen to Zoey?_ He was out as soon as his head hit his pillow but his warrior senses didn't seem to shut down for the night and were even sharper that night than they ever were.

All through that night his mind seemed to keep playing the earlier events that had happened like at the old movie theatres and how the screen flickers from one images to the next. He saw himself inside Aphrodite's room and then how he had reacted when the flood of emotions coming from Zoey affected him and how quickly he had reacted. Then he saw himself sprinting down the stairs and out into the courtyard and everyone else behind him. It was then that his mind played the worst part of his memory from that night. It was then he saw Zoey just a few yards in front of him and how she was running towards what he didn't notice at first but then saw that it was Kalona with Heath in his grasp with his whole fist wrapped around Heath's neck. Then with one swift twist Kalona had snapped Heath's neck and it was at the exact moment that Zoey had thrown the element Spirit at Kalona and then collapsed. He vaguely saw Kalona being thrown back and over the wall but he hadn't cared about that even in his memory. He then saw his self running to Zoey and immediately dropping to his knees beside her. Then just as he had remembered the rest of Zoey's gang were around him as he gently pulled Zoey up onto his lap and he started crying. Everything in his dream or nightmare or memory or whatever you wanted to call it started to waver and ripple like when you throw a pebble into a lake or pond and it was with that, that he woke up to some insistent rapping on the door.

He had managed to pull himself together when he opened the door to find Damien, Jack, Erin and Shaunee and at the back he managed to see Aphrodite behind the massive mountain that was Darius. He motioned for them to come in but it was only moments before he heard some quiet sobs coming from the Twins. It was then silent for Goddess knows how long with only the occasional sob and sniffle here and there. Darius was the first to speak breaking the somehow awkward silence that wasn't quite awkward but still awkward enough for Stark's liking. "How is the young priestess doing?" He asked but it lingered in the air between us that he knew how she was.

"I think she is doing okay but no response or waking up yet." I answered him "Well I did fall asleep but I didn't feel anything through the warrior bond."

"Can you feel anything though the bond?" Damien asked in his teacher's voice but was filled with worry.

"I'm not entirely sure. I mean I haven't felt anything since before when we were in Aphrodite's room and I knew something was wrong then after that when..." He broke off not wanting to say that the last time he felt Zoey through the bond was when her soul had shattered and they all seemed to understand.

"When her soul broke?" Jack imputed. It wasn't a question but Stark nodded anyway.

Then Darius all warrior like said "Try to tap into her emotions, even though she may be unconscious you may still be able to feel what she is feeling."

"Okay I'll try," He replied his voice thick with worry that the bond might have broken when Zoey's soul shattered. "What if it doesn't work? What if the bond broke when she collapsed and her soul shattered?" He hadn't wanted to say these but it was as if he wasn't in control of what he was saying there and then.

"I assure you that the bond has not broken. I should know as I have went though the Sons of Erebus Training and learnt the history as if was my own personal history" Darius stated matter of factly.

"Okay I'll try" Stark said. He went over to the bed and sat on the edge, careful not to sit on Zoey's leg. He was trying with all his might to read her emotions when finally after ten minutes he felt something, but what was is he was feeling from her. Awareness, confusion, guilt. He jumped up as if the bed had burnt him and the only way to cool down was to jump off of the bed. Everyone was looking at him with concern when he finally said with tears in his eyes "I can still feel her emotions! I can feel that she is confused, aware and guilty but nothing else really." He was so happy that he was still connected to Zoey.

"What should she be guilty about," Erin was about to finish her question but as per usual her twin chimed in.

"She didn't do anything to be guilty about" Shaunee finished.

"It doesn't matter about the guilt she is feeling." Aphrodite said turning to Stark "You said you could feel that she was aware right?" I nodded. "So she must be coming back soon if she is starting to be aware and the confusion could just mean that she is confused about where she is right now in the darkness or wherever her mind wandered to when she collapsed." She finished. To him Aphrodite was the only one apart from Darius making sense.

Soon after the conversation Stark hadn't even realised that he was alone in the room with just Zoey's empty shell for company but he knew it wasn't just her empty shell. He knew that her soul was slowly making its way back to her and with that he knew he could stay strong. He knew he had to stay strong not for the group of his self but for Zoey. He slowly walked over to the bed and sat next to her and took her hand in his and started to wind her fingers around his and then as he had been ever since she collapsed he started to cry. Stark knew why he was crying, he was crying because he was happy she would be returning but he was also crying because he missed her. Just the simplest things about her. Her voice, her laugh they way she smiled at everyone not just him, her love for life but more importantly how she was just herself. He hadn't known Zoey long but he did know that Zoey didn't pretend to be something she wasn't, she was always genuinely herself. He walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in and wrapped his arms around her waist and somewhere in the back of his mind he could feel her emotions from that single movement he made towards her. In a voice barley a whisper he said to her "I love you Zoey Redbird." He didn't fall asleep after that he just laid there with Zoey in his arms just the way he liked it.

He was just barely conscious when he felt a small movement in his arms that made him shoot up in the bed that he now found himself in a sitting position. He looked over to the pillow where he had placed Zoey's head the day before, only to see her beautiful hazel eyes that could never decide whether they wanted to be brown or green staring up at him. A slow smile spread across Starks face and it seemed as though Zoey's face mirrored his. She slowly started to sit up and it was then that Stark pulled her into his arms and hugged her as if she would disappear if he were to hold her less tightly. He then bent down to place a gentle kiss on her perfect lips and she immediately responded with as much passion as he was putting into his share of the kiss. When they finally parted lips they were both breathing quite hard and then Stark said "Well good morning Sleeping Beauty," She giggled which made my heart melt.

"Good morning handsome." Zoey replied. Stark had been so happy that she was awake he hadn't even notices that her gorgeous Goddess given marks were back all over her body.

"Oh Goddess, your marks are back!" He said quite breathlessly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Zoey

I was standing in darkness, wait no how do I even know if there is a bottom to this darkness, let's just say I was floating in darkness. I was floating in darkness as the memories crashed over me and then the darkness took over. I hadn't wanted to leave Heath I wanted to stay and make sure he was going to be okay but then I was flooded with memories of what had happened then the darkness took over and here I am. I had so many emotions filling and then leaving me only to replace them with even more confusing emotions. I felt three main emotions wash over me and those were: awareness; confusion and guilt. I felt awareness because I had a feeling where my body was it had been outside in the courtyard in the cool night air and was there for awhile after I had been swallowed by the darkness but then it had been moved and I felt a warm rush go over my body and I knew I must have been inside then I was on something soft and comforting so I guessed I was in a room lying down on a bed. The confusion came from what had happened after I saw Heath in the Otherworld and then into the darkness. I hadn't a clue where I was when I the darkness covered me. The lastly the guilt came after I remembered what had happened. I was feeling guilty because I hadn't reached Heath in time to save him from.... I couldn't bring myself to saw what had happened to Heath. I just didn't want to face the reality that he was gone.

Heath had been a major impact on my life ever since I was in the second grade and he was in the third grade. From there my mind went over the memories I had of Heath like at a movie theatre and the trailers that show before the movie comes on that everyone hates because they just want to see the movie. I saw when I first saw him and how he was such a gentleman always holding doors open for me and carrying my books. Then the screen flickered and changed to the high school period when we were boyfriend and girlfriend and how he would bring me flowers and ridiculous teddy bears. Then the most recent memories came onto the movie like screen. How he reacted when he saw that I had been marked. The time when we were sitting on the East wall and we had Imprinted to when I saved him from Stevie Rae and the red fledglings before they got their humanity back to how he saved me after being attacked by the Raven Mocker. Then when he stood by me while stating our case at the Vamp High Court. I only really saw the happy memories I never saw the bad ones.

Then my mind went to my friends that I had made since being marked. They way me and Stevie Rae just instantly clicked and became BFF's and how I discovered my affinities. To me going out with Erik and becoming leader of the Dark Daughters and Sons. How my friends stood by me through Stevie Rae's death. My crappy but good birthday. When I first met Stark and how I felt the instant connection between us. Images from the not too distant past flickered around my mind of Grandma's accident, to Kalona rising and all of us fleeing to the tunnels for safety. Then my mind forgot all of those things and now only started to focus on Stark. The time we met and instantly connected to him dying in my arms then un-dying and shooting Stevie Rae. The first time he slept with me to keep me safe from my nightmare with Kalona. When he pledged himself to me to protect me and be my warrior. As I was thinking all these things I felt the stinging of tears form in my eyes and had to blink to keep them back but I was unsuccessful and they started pouring over and flowing down my cheeks and dripping off and into the nothingness. I just wanted to find a way to get back to my friends and my warrior.

A thought ran across my mind and I knew it was Nyx. She was saying: "Be patient my u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya" The use of the Cherokee word for daughter made me fill with love and peace. "Your soul shall return only when you are ready." The words floated through my mind and I knew that my Goddess hadn't left me and that I would be returning to my body and my warrior soon. A thought was swirling around my mind so I decided to voice it to get it off of my chest because I knew deep down in my heart that it was true. "I love you James Stark." And almost as instantly as I had voiced my thought I heard a reply but I still wasn't back in my body. I knew the voice all too well and that it was the voice of the one and only Stark. He was saying "I love you Zoey Redbird." He said it as if he had heard what I had said not long ago just before I heard his voice. I tried to contact him again by screaming: "Stark! It's me Zoey can you hear me. I'm okay I just need to find my way back." Even though I had screamed it I had no reply. I was beginning to feel things and get my consciousness back because I felt a pair of strong arms going around my waist even though I was completely alone in the darkness with nothing for company.

I felt myself fully return to my body and just to check I made the smallest movement of my arm just to check. I was instantly pulled from pure joy of being back in my body, when I felt something shoot up beside me. I opened my eyes and looked up to see the beautiful eyes of my warrior James Stark staring back into my own eyes. A slow smile spread across his face and it was a mixture of his normal cocky smile which I loved so much and a smile of pure amazement and joy. I mirrored his smile and slowly started to sit up and it was then that I was pulled into his arms and he held onto me tightly as if he thought that I would disappear if he let go of me. Then he slowly bent down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips and I immediately responded putting in as much passion as he was. When we parted we were both breathing quite hard from the intensity of the kiss which was when Stark said sweetly "Well good morning Sleeping Beauty" I giggled and then replied with.

"Good morning handsome" I noticed that he was so happy that I was back.

He finally broke the small silence that had grown between us by saying quite breathlessly "Oh Goddess, your marks are back!"

"Well of course they're back Stark," I said. I knew it wasn't a question but I answered it anyway. "Nyx marked my soul not my body. My body is just a shell that protects my soul, when my soul left my body my marks and affinities went with it." He looked so cute how he was just sitting there staring at my marks which I knew he found breathtaking and for once I didn't mind someone staring at my marks. Normally I would hate for people to be staring at my marks but this time it felt different. It didn't feel as though he thought I was a freak. It felt nice to be sitting in the arms of my warrior.

"We should call the others and tell them that you are back," He said with my favourite cocky grin. "But on the other hand we could just wait till tomorrow to tell them and just stay here like this." He finishes and hugged me pulling me closer to him and I rested my head on his chest and was listening to his heartbeat. I swear mine was beating in time with his.

"I agree with you on the second part, to just stay here like this." I started "but I really think the other should know I'm back to put their minds at ease. How about this when we want them to leave you hold my hand and I'll yawn."

"Deal." He said whipping out his phone to call Damien. I went into the bathroom and I barley heard him talking to Damien explaining that I was now awake. I walked out of the bathroom to be bombarded with hugs and shouts and cries.

First to hug tackle me were the Twins who were talking simultaneously (Damien will be proud of my vocabulary). I was barley listening to what the twins were saying and only caught snippets of what they were saying. I finally tuned back in to what was going on around me and broke free from the hugs to make my way back over to the bed and sat down next to Stark.

"Ohmygoddess Z we are so glad your back" Erin said and with Shaunee finishing the sentence.

"We don't know what we would of down without you." She finished explaining.

"Yeah what happened to you anyway?" Damien asked. I answered his question by going right into how one minute I was running to get to Heath and then throwing Spirit at Kalona. Then collapsing and turning up in the Otherworld and how Heath was there. I almost started crying at the mention of his name but fought back the tears saving them for when I was alone. I explained how after I saw Heath I was only in darkness and how I slowly was starting to return and then I mentioned how I had heard something, someone saying something to me and how it was Starks voice. I didn't mention what it was I had heard him say, I didn't want to embarrass him. Then how I gained full consciousness and woke up. After a while of taking and planning and wondering where Kalona could be I yawned (which wasn't a fake) and then Stark held my hand so I asked

"Guys can we maybe talk more tomorrow I'm really tired right now so can I maybe rest?" They all just looked at each other then gave a chorus of "Yeah sure" and "No problem Z" and with that they left and I was alone with my warrior again. We were silent for a bit and then Stark spoke.

"So what was it you heard me say?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, just something about you loving me." He blushed when I said this. Then I continued. "By any chance did you hear me say anything to you? I mean did you hear my voice in your head."

He just looked at me then said "Yeah, kinda. I mean I heard something right at the back of my mind and it sounded a lot like your voice. Why did you say something to me when you were in the darkness?"

I blushed and then answered with "Yeah I had a thought pass through my mind and I decided to say it out loud in case I didn't get back to my body. I said that I love you James Stark."

He replied to me by kissing me sweetly on the lips and then hugging me tightly before we lay down to go to sleep. The last thing I heard before I drifted off into the land of dreams was the soft voice that was Stark's whispering into my ear "I love you too Zoey Redbird." Then at that I fell asleep in the safety of my warriors arms.

I woke up to find Stark still lying sleeping next to me so I carefully untangled myself from him and got up to go get a shower. When I walked out of the bathroom warm and clean I saw Stark sitting up rubbing at his eyes. I guessed that he had just woken up. I walked over to his and sat down on the bed next to him and he pulled me into his strong but gentle arms and hugged me I rested my semi-wet head against his chest and at that moment it was just me and Stark. That was until he got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower himself. When he got out and we were both dressed we walked hand in hand down to the dining area to have breakfast. We walked up to the table that was occupied by our little group and I slid into the booth with Stark next to me. "Morning guys!" I said still tired but stifling a yawn. I was replied with a chorus of "Morning". Stark had gotten up to go get us some food so I took this opportunity to ask something that was lingering at the back of my mind.

"Guys what happened after I collapsed?" I looked up from the table to be greeted with blank expressions at my remark as if what I had said would change their lives forever. As usual Damien what the one to break the tense silence.

"Well not really much. We saw you fall and then Kalona flying up into the sky, we were too busy trying to get you to wake up we didn't take any notice of him really then I looked up from where you were lying and I found Heath's body on the ground not too far from you. Darius called Erce to get some Vamp healers to take him back to the palace and then we just stayed with you for about an hour and we went back to our dorms." I hadn't said anything I was trying to let it all sink in that Kalona was still out there and that he could be back any second. Stark came back to the table with our breakfast and asked what we were talking about. He gave me a concerned look as he could tell I was anxious and scared. We ate in silence and then Aphrodite spoke up.

"So when are we going back, I asked Darius to speak with the High Council and they agreed to let us go back to Tulsa and they would set up arrangements to continue the hearing so you wouldn't have to stay here." She said it with such sincerity that I had a weird feeling that the old Aphrodite whom I had met and hated months ago had gone and now left a nice loving Aphrodite in her place. I would have to ask her later what had changed her but I thought now was the wrong time to bring that up, what with the hearing still going on and Heath's death.

"Well we could see if the jet was ready and leave today. I really want to get out of here" I replied. "Why don't we get Darius to let the council know and we all meet up in the lobby packed and ready to leave in an hour." With that I stood up and started to walk out the room with Stark walking fast to catch up with me.


End file.
